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The computing industry is undergoing major evolution positioning mobile devices as the primary personal computing device. This blog will identify concepts and observations related to that evolution - missives on the journey to a mobile computing world.

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Got MAM (mobile application management) in your 2013 mobile menu?

This post is contributed by Miku Jha, Product Line Manager for the IBM Mobile Foundation Product Portfolio

2013 is the year of mobile enterprise apps. Gartner listed Enterprise App Store as one of the key tech trends for 2013: 10 Tech trends for 2013. By 2014, there will be more than 70 billion mobile app downloads from app stores every year. It is time we paid attention to MAM: Mobile Application Management or conceptually, managing and secure these apps that access the most valuable asset of an enterprise: the data.

The usage pattern of enterprise apps is changing, as the following graphic shows:With the growing number of mobile enterprise apps and changing usage patterns, enterprises need to shift from the draconian security approach of locking down the entire device to a more granular approach of securing specific apps. This is where MAM comes in as a set of tools and technologies to address the growing app-level security and usage concerns.

Here are the questions that a CIO/Security group would ask before approving the enterprise wide BYOD policy:

What’s your strategy for third-party apps? How do you secure third-party apps without access to the source code?

Can you selectively wipe the app when the device is lost or stolen?

Can you enforce passcode policy compliance across all app types including custom apps, third-party apps and public apps?

Can you ensure that any data/content accessed by the apps does not go beyond the organization’s control?

How do we get active app feedback, reviews and ratings for the developers?

MAM is not just a glorified app store

MAM is not just an enterprise app store or a client app catalog. MAM is a super set of tools and technologies to address application-level security and management. The key domains of a comprehensive MAM offering are illustrated in the following graphic:

As you consider MAM in your mobile strategy in 2013, don’t make this false assumption: If I have an MDM solution, I don’t need MAM. You need both for a healthy mobile enterprise strategy.

MDM is about managing, provisioning and securing the device. This is needed when you want to offer device-level protection such as device tracking, remote wipe, IT policy enforcement, compliance and monitoring of employee devices.

However, with the ever-evolving BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) landscape, where the device may be employee-owned but not essentially corporate-managed, a growing focus is on application-level protection and data security.

MDM helps you with securing the device, whereas MAM helps you with securing the information residing on the device or accessed from the device. An enterprise needs both device-level and app-level protection for a comprehensive mobile security strategy.

If you get confused with the ongoing debate between MAM and MDM, remember the thumb rules:

MAM doesn’t replace MDM.

MDM alone doesn’t compensate for MAM needs.

MAM and MDM are complimentary since they approach security and protection from different angles, and both may be needed for your BYOD initiative to be successful.

Both MAM and MDM can coexist based on your needs.

Be sure to consider the application-level protection and needs of your enterprise and respond “Yes” to “Got MAM?” in 2013.

Miku Jha has deep understanding in Web, Mobile, Virtualization and enterprise technology and is currently involved with shaping product and strategy for IBM Mobile. Previously, Miku led World Wide Technical Sales Enablement at IBM. Miku comes to IBM from Worklight Acquisition where she was a Senior Solutions Architect. Prior to Worklight, Miku has held multiple roles in Program Management, Product Management and business planning at VMware where she was also instrumental in the launch of VMware’s ﬁrst generation Mobile Virtualization solution. She holds an MBA from Cornell University and Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Mumbai University.